butler's opinion is his own. and that the termination of the dhs football program has not come before the board and is not on any agenda at this time. still, parents were quick to speak out. >> the backing is there. you know? jim mcmann just came oit and said he's suffering from dementia. >> if you're going to look at sports in general, look at them all, hockey, lacrosse. you can't just pick football. >> reporter: but concussions are serious, particularly in kids. >> the younger the brain is, the more vulnerable to brain trauma. >> reporter: among children and adolescents, emergency room visits for sports related brain injuries including concussions have gone up 60% in ten years. for boys, the rates are highest in football. >> from the nfl, all the way down to pop warner youth football, unprecedented steps have been taken in the last several years to make the game safer. >> reporter: more than half of the states in america, including new hampshire, have concussion laws to protect student athletes. at eastern tech